


by feline design

by ivelostmyspectacles



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Because that's a Good Jonathan Sims, Domestic, Gen, Jonathan Sims with a Cat, Pining, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-08 16:48:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18627265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivelostmyspectacles/pseuds/ivelostmyspectacles
Summary: Martin doesn’t really notice he’s staring until he notices that, instead of watching Jon, Georgie’s looking athim. He thinks he feels his stomach drop out, because she’s looking at him so…knowingly, and because, well,she’dbeen in love with Jon, maybe she knows what thatlookslike, coming from another person–





	by feline design

“Hey Georgie.”

“Hey Jon– oh, hey Martin.”

“Hi.”

He _likes_ Georgie. He really does. She seems… good. Good with all of the spooky stuff, good with Jon, _and_ she’d been the one to take care of Jon when he’d had to skip out from the public eye for awhile. The last bit is what really does it for Martin. If Georgie hadn’t been there, Jon wouldn’t have had anywhere to go, and, well… he’s just really glad she had been there when they hadn’t been able to be. If Jon had been alone… God. Well, he hadn’t been. That was all that mattered.

So yeah, he likes Georgie. It’s just a little awkward that she’s Jon’s _ex._ He tries not to think about it.

“Come to pick up the tapes you’ve got stashed?” she asks, and Jon nods.

“Yes, that’s– ah, hello Admiral.” Jon looks down at the cat that’s made a beeline for his legs, something a mixture between amusement and exasperation on his face. Then, he crouches down, gently scratching between the cat’s ears.

“Aw, I didn’t know you had a cat.” Martin’s an animal person; he _loves_ dogs, and cats, and anything vaguely warm and cuddly. Sometimes, he wishes he had a pet, but… the hours are getting longer at the Institute but he never seems to _make_ that much more money and… it just wouldn’t be fair. Martin doesn’t think he could get a pet now, but delights in the moments like now, where Admiral, was it? was available to dole attention out onto.

Not that he needs to dole out the attention. Jon’s got that covered.

“Yeah, The Admiral. I’m surprised Jon hasn’t mentioned. He loves him.”

Martin doesn’t really know if Georgie means that Jon loves The Admiral or that The Admiral loves Jon, but he’s kind of surprised either way. Jon’s never really… _talked_ about pets. Martin didn’t think he was a pet person, really, so it’s surprising the way Jon just gives into the feline’s whims. Not that you can _really_ ignore a cat, but even when Admiral sinks his claws into Jon’s hand, Jon makes a tiny, pained noise, but proceeds to rub the cat’s belly when it flops over and rolls to its back.

What’s more, Jon’s _smiling._

It’s _that_ smile, that one that’s soft and small and indicative of a quiet moment where Jon’s _actually_ enjoying himself. Not a wry smile, not the kind he gives when he talks about the state of their lives or the lives in his statements, not the _fake_ one Jon puts on when he’s talking to someone he doesn’t like but has to be professional, anyway (they _all_ know that kind of smile.)

It’s the _“thank you for the tea, Martin”_ smile that comes when Jon’s feeling generous, or the half asleep one when he’s woken after dozing off at the archives. It’s the gentle, human side of Jon that’s somehow still unaffected by being Archivist, by all the stuff that sometimes even Martin thinks he won’t come back from himself.

It’s the smile that _especially_ affects Martin when it occurs, makes him feel warm all over, drags the extent of the feelings he is so careful to keep tucked away back to the surface. It’s… dangerous, honestly, especially considering how Jon _laughs_ as The Admiral wildly kicks at his hand.

Martin doesn’t really notice he’s staring until he notices that, instead of watching Jon, Georgie’s looking at _him._ He thinks he feels his stomach drop out, because she’s looking at him so… _knowingly,_ and because, well, _she’d_ been in love with Jon, maybe she knows what that _looks_ like, coming from another person– she _definitely_ knows what that looks like–

Martin can’t help feeling guilty. He looks away, and then decides to take a slightly more proactive role in dispelling his own awkwardness. The Admiral’s still begging for attention, even as Jon is tickling the cat’s sides and looking so damn domestic it makes Martin’s _teeth_ hurt. So he crouches down opposite to Jon, and pets the cat, too. Because he likes cats. And because he doesn’t think he can look at Georgie right now.

“There you go, bother Martin.” Jon gives the cat one last pat and pulls away, straightening back to full height.

Martin stays with Admiral. “Bother shmother.” The cat shakes out its fur and then butts its head against Martin’s knee. “I love cats.” And The Admiral’s really a gorgeous cat, and really friendly, and he can feel him purring still as he strokes his fingers along its back. And Martin’s glad for the distraction. “We should have a cat at the Institute.”

“Ha.” Jon brushes his hands on his trousers, bits of white fur now stuck to the fabric. “Something else for Elias to torment?” he asks, and whatever the past minute or so has been is immediately gone at the mention of the Institute.

Martin wants to kick himself, but maybe it’s for the best. “You’re probably right… maybe one day, though. When things aren’t… _weird.”_

“I think our chance at normalcy is long gone, Martin.” His voice is weary, and Martin _definitely_ wants to kick himself now. Stupid. “The tapes, Georgie?” Jon continues.

“Oh, yeah, right. They’re locked in the studio, c’mon.”

The Admiral watches the two of them go, and then promptly sits on Martin’s shoe. Martin’s breath goes in a rush, and the cat’s ears twitch before it starts to groom itself. Martin watches blankly. “Right,” he says, and then shakes his head. He needs to focus, and _not_ think about how obvious it might be (to everyone _but_ Jon) how much everyone in this house cares for him. “You can’t help but love Jon, too, huh?” he murmurs, and pets Admiral again.

The Admiral looks up, tongue still half extended for a short moment, and then promptly returns to licking its balls.

Martin’s still stuck in a small circuit of semi self-deprecating laughter when Jon and Georgie return with the tapes.

“Did we miss something?” Jon asks. It’s only vague curiosity, and mostly Jon’s own version of lighthearted snark. It had taken a long time to realize it _was_ snark to begin with, but Martin’s confident now.

“No.” He’s still laughing even as he shakes his head. It probably seems like he’s well and truly cracked up until Admiral suddenly zooms away, darting around the corner into the kitchen. The speed startles Martin, really; he doesn’t know if it’s The Admiral or his own reaction that the others are laughing at when he looks up.

“That cat.” Georgie’s got the fond amusement of a pet owner who’s pet’s done something ridiculous; he’s got a few friends who have dogs and he always sees _that_ look on their faces. “I don’t even know what comes over him sometimes.”

Jon’s laugh is little more than a chuckle, but even that’s enough. “Imagine the trouble he got into when you weren’t here.”

“I don’t think I want to know.”

Jon rolls his eyes, fond, and Martin makes a point not to stare. He picks himself up off the floor instead, sweeps away a few pieces of cat hair from his own knees, and is _not_ feeling simultaneously relaxed and nervous when he looks back at Jon and Georgie. “Got everything?”

“More than we’ll probably have time to research combined, but it’s all here.” Jon jostles the box.

“We’ll manage.” He holds out his hands. “Want me to take it?”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Yeah.” There’s a mess of tapes. Only half have labels. There’s various sticky flags stuck to some of them, notes and personal ideas. Jon’s right. They’ll be busy for awhile. Martin doesn’t mind.

“We should go.”

“Oh yeah.” Georgie shrugs. “Don’t let me keep you. Bigger fish to fry and all that. You two are gonna have a long night.”

Martin pretends she doesn’t look right at him when she says that. She definitely just isn’t _staring_ at him, it’s just his imagination… isn’t it…? “I’ll… just take these to the car, then!” he says, because he absolutely will not let his paranoia get the better of him. “Nice to see you again, Georgie.”

“Yeah, under decent circumstances, even. Who would have thought?”

“Few and far in between…” He looks at Jon. “Your keys?”

“Right, here. Be out in a moment.”

“Right! Tell The Admiral bye for me,” he says, and gives an awkward wave before letting himself out. He doesn’t _really_ think Georgie will say anything, _if_ she noticed anything, which she probably _hadn’t,_ and besides, it’s not like he can stop them gossiping forever, if… that’s what they do. Or plan to do. But he doesn’t think it is. He’s sure his secret’s safe.

… pretty sure it’s safe.

 _“– damn!_ Cat, come back!”

“Why’d you let him out for?!”

“I didn’t _let_ him out, he just _went!_ Perhaps if you trained your cat better–!”

“He’s a _cat,_ I can’t _train him!”_

Martin almost drops the box of tapes when he looks up to see a bundle of fur streaking across the neighbor’s yards, and Jon and Georgie running after him. That was… The Admiral…

“Don’t just stand there, Martin!”

“Right! Sorry!” Still, it’s with a grin that he shoves the box into the car and sprints after them.

The chase is familiar, after all, and equal parts _excitement_ and _frustration._ These days, Martin’s getting good at running.

**Author's Note:**

> That bit in MAG93 with Jon and Admiral where he DOES sound so domestic that it makes your heart ache killed me softly - and I was still laughing at "that's your arse, thanks for that" the rest of the (definitely not amusing) episode
> 
> anyway Martin's being self deprecating (and getting used to being that) but he's gonna get Jon post-cat chase where he's out of breath and amused and rumpled, and Martin's gonna sit in the passenger side of Jon's car and grin and stare and _melt_


End file.
